Guide on how to obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate under the Gender Recognition Act 2004. This guide was created by UK Trans Info with support and funding from the Scottish Transgender Alliance.

In 2014 we saw the most significant changes to gender recognition in the UK since the Gender Recognition Act was enacted in 2004. This was because England, Scotland and Wales made it legal for couples who are legally the same sex to get married. Before these reforms, couples where one or both partners were seeking gender recognition had to end their marriage or civil partnership first. With same sex marriage legalised, some couples in this situation can remain married or in a civil partnership.

However it is only a partial end to the practice, and it has resulted in a complicated process that varies significantly depending on where you live and where you got married or entered into your civil partnership. A person who married or entered into a civil partnership in Northern Ireland will still have to get a divorce, annulment or dissolution before they can get gender recognition. A person who married in England or Wales may continue their marriage as long as their spouse agrees. People who married in Scotland and still live in Scotland are permitted gender recognition even without their spouse’s consent.

This booklet will explain what gender recognition is, what the eligibility requirements are, how to make the application and what happens once you have applied. It will also guide you through the additional steps you’ll need to take if you are married or in a civil partnership. If you need any more help then you can contact us or one of the other organisations listed at the back of the guide.

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